Operability Analysis of Process Supply Chains-Toward the Development of a Sustainable Bioeconomy

In order for enterprises to remain competitive in an increasingly global and uncertain environment, their manufacturing processes and associated supply chain systems need to have the capacity to adapt to change and do so in a timely manner. This is particularly relevant in the trend toward an increased bioeconomy, where processes typically face raw material variability, market uncertainty, fluctuating demands, and process uncertainty. This chapter focuses on operability analysis of process supply chains, drawing on methodologies developed for process plant applications. Literature on supply chain and process plant operability is briefly reviewed. Optimization-based formulations are then presented for analyzing the flexibility and responsiveness of process supply chains. A case study based on an integrated forest biorefinery is presented to illustrate the application of the methodologies presented.